I am always gracious and try to accomodate reasonable patient/family requests, but my name tag yesterday must have read 'Handmaid' instead of RN. I was instructed (not asked) by several different patients/family members the following:
"Go get us about eight or ten chairs so everybody can sit down in here."
"The baby's father hasn't had anything to eat today, can you make him something?" (This was 1930 and FOB who missed the 0915 delivery had just shown up).
"Can't you get the kids sandwiches?" (I was happy to bring graham crackers and juice, but was met with "Well, that's not enough for dinner.")
"I can't use a taxi voucher because that way I have to go right home. Don't you have a petty cash fund? I need to stop at my friend's house and the store first."
"My boyfriend wants a set of the baby's footprints, a copy of the baby's picture, and that test to make sure he's the father."
This, of course, all in addition to the usual "The baby's diaper needs to be changed," "Bring me another Percocet. Somebody here (a visitor, not the patient) has a headache," "Take his (another visitor's) blood pressure," and "He needs some scrubs to wear."
Sorry for the rant. Yesterday was a long 14-hour day and I just needed to get it out. :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire
#@&*!! You have GOT to be kidding me! You were called on the carpet for this?!
Give me a *&@$! break!!! :angryfire
It gets stupider.
Same hospital, different UD.
My UD calls me in for some issues during which she wishes to address. One of them is appearance. She thinks that I look much prettier with makeup "and more professional".
The first UD:
We get a call from staffing that our sister unit is short. We need to send them an RN and they will give us an aide in return. Our patient group really would not have benefited from us having an aide. In addition, the aide in question is very talkative and does not know how to add I/O (even after being shown, even with a calculator....we have tried her numerous times). We are a very quiet unit after hours and an aide is of little to us. We let the other unit have the RN and the aide.
Next morning , UD comes down and yells at charge nurse in the middle of the hall, in front of MDs, staff, patients, visitors. About how rude she was not to take the aide. How the charge is leaving and UD has a replacement already and she should "mind her step". When charge tries to example about the fact that the aide cannot add, manager tells us that "you should teach her how to add".
No worry about how she has a staffer that is functionally illiterate and cannot do a basic part of her job. No compliment about how generous we were and how it was a better use of staffing to keep the aide on the unit that requires more physical labor.
My hospital makes us end every patient/family interaction with "Is there anything else I can do for you?" I had half a mind to re-phrase it to, "Is there any nursing-related need I can take care of for you?" except since most of my patients think nurses are waitresses/babysitters/servants anyway, it probably wouldn't make a difference.
Another thing the hospital is throwing around is having the patient say, "Did you wash your hands?" to every nurse who comes into the room. :angryfire
Come on. I don't ask the deli guy, "Are you sure this didn't get dropped on the floor?" and I don't say to my accountant "Did you use a calculator and check your math?" For administration to have patients ask if I washed my hands implies that unless my patients are on the lookout, I'm not doing my job. Way to support your nurses, administration!
Sorry- off topic. It's late and I'm overtired. Can't wait to see what ridiculous requests will come my way tomorrow, though!
You are so right. I work in postpartum and these comments are making me laugh, I get some really demanding patients. I could go on and on about the things I have been asked (or had demanded of me). It's the way people ask mostly. I am not too proud to clean up the pts room a bit, to call the kitchen to get a special meal sent up, take out their trash, bring them juice/sandwiches from the refrig or other things if they were to mention nicely and I have the time but it's when they have that demanding attitude it sets my teeth on edge.
Melissa
The original post is one of the reasons I will NEVER do post-partum care. Hospitals and birth classes give the parents the impression that the post-partum unit is like a spa. I think it would be more appropriate for the birth classes to include, "This is not a hotel. Your nurse is not a waitress."
Oncology Unit, night shift - Hospice patient admitted for "respite care" - seriously emaciated dying patient under heavy covers. Family member, heavyset and able bodied sleeping next to air conditioner. Room temperature - below 65 and room feels like an ice box.
Patient calls to ask for another blanket and can't sleep, family member snoring away, does not even acknowledge patient all night (12 hours). I get one but change thermostat in room. Within a short time the patient is comfortable and sleeping.
Next day, I get a call at home - when I am trying to sleep -that the UD calls and wants to have a meeting - on my day off - at the hospital. I come in to find a complaint. The family member was uncomfortable "because it was too warm" in the room. When I explain to the NM that the PATIENT was cold, she says,
"BUT YOU COULD HAVE JUST PUT A FEW MORE BLANKETS ON THE PATIENT _ YOU DID NOT NEED TO CHANGE THE THERMOSTAT".
I was tempted to remind her about her referendum to save linens (we don't NEED to change the patient's sheets EVERY day). But you get the idea.
You got called and had to come in on your day off for this???? :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire
Gee, how unfortunate that poor family member was a little too warm for his/her comfort (sarcasm DEFINATELY intended). Your NM had the AUDACITY to validate this person's complaint by hauling you in. The patient's comfort was secondary???? SHAME on him/her
Perfect example of what happens when the monkeys are allowed to run the circus.
I agree - this is not customer satisfaction or service - this is employee abuse and Carolina from what I have seen of your posts on this BB you are far far too knowledgeable and conscientious to be treated this way!
The problem I have with this "customer service" routine, is that most of this stems from high above in ivory towers from someone behind a mahagony desk that has absolutely no clue about what a nurse really does and is responsible for. Or worse they have some antiquated notion that nurses are handmaids.
This problem is further exacerbated when our immediate supervisors buy into this routine. Their attitude seems to be "It would have only taken a second" to see to their needs. The reality is that it rarely takes a second, and that when you add all this "people pleasing" up, countless hours are wasted by staff. Hauling staff in and raking them over the coals because a visitor was too warm, despite the fact that the real issue was the patient's comfort is ludicrous!! Where is the rationality and sanity?? How about telling the visitor that the PATIENT is the priority when it comes to comfort. :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire
Now I don't have a problem if a visitor makes a request for something such as a glass of water, I don't mind providing one. However there is a problem when a hugh chunk of time is spent dealing with pleasing EVERYONE in the name of customer service at the expense of the patients well-being. This time wasted ENDANGERS the health and well-being of patients by diverting the staff's attention & focus towards "customer service" instead of gearing attention & focus properly towards our patients.
A nurse's number one priority is to provide care and ensure the well-being of the patients. As far as I'm concerned this overrides "pleasing" in the name of customer service.
"sigh" reading these posts makes me really, really grateful that I work in a public hospital system. If anyone gets too demanding we just smile sweetly and tell them they could always go private...................................:chuckle
My UD calls me in for some issues during which she wishes to address. One of them is appearance. She thinks that I look much prettier with makeup "and more professional".
The first UD:
We get a call from staffing that our sister unit is short. We need to send them an RN and they will give us an aide in return. Our patient group really would not have benefited from us having an aide. In addition, the aide in question is very talkative and does not know how to add I/O (even after being shown, even with a calculator....we have tried her numerous times). We are a very quiet unit after hours and an aide is of little to us. We let the other unit have the RN and the aide.
Next morning , UD comes down and yells at charge nurse in the middle of the hall, in front of MDs, staff, patients, visitors. About how rude she was not to take the aide. How the charge is leaving and UD has a replacement already and she should "mind her step". When charge tries to example about the fact that the aide cannot add, manager tells us that "you should teach her how to add".
No worry about how she has a staffer that is functionally illiterate and cannot do a basic part of her job. No compliment about how generous we were and how it was a better use of staffing to keep the aide on the unit that requires more physical labor.
This is incredible. Number one, the UD who dressed you down about your appearance is playing dangerous games with harassment. Number two, the other UD was very unprofessional in yelling at the charge nurse in front of God and everybody, and should have been fired, along with her incompetent aide, who does not even give the appearance of meeting minimum standards for skills for CNA's as defined by our state.
The actions of these UD's goes far beyond that of stupidity. They are actions of gross professional misconduct, and both of them need to brought in front of the board! :angryfire
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
Oh and let's not forget the teenager that was "sitting vigil" with poor dying granddad. She went into the family room, with her boyfriend, locked the door and was having sex on the floor. When staff ordered her to open the door, they refused and security had to come up and unlock it.
The manager had a talk with her and took the lock off the family room door. But did not ban her ......BIG MISTAKE!!!!!
The weekend shift comes in, but had been apprised of the situation. She sneaks in boyfriend, the go to the family room and put furniture against the door. We have to call security again.
I get tired of it, ask granddad about his "lovely" grandchild and get her mother's name. Call Mama who gets mad that we "let" her girl have sex and comes up and raises heck and high water with her girl. Granddaughter gets upset that "hospitals are suppose to be private about this stuff."..why'd we go and tell on her.
My head is spinning here. I can't believe what I am reading. :angryfire
And how SICK is it to want to have sex in a hospital waiting room? What a sick family dynamic they have going there.
And now you know why I am a traveler. I was really close to quitting nursing at that point. Traveling let me feel better appreciated.
It is really sad when it can be said in all honesty, "I have been treated better at virtually EVERY assignment hospital that I have worked for than at a facility that I worked for over 1/2 my nursing career." Even at the one that I listed as "Hospital O'Hell" in a column. I have received more Thank Yous and appreciation for working extra time than I did at my "home" hospital.
Psychiatric patients are the same way. Recently, one woman was griping loudly about how she didn't want the cinnamon donut that everyone got, but said she had asked for a powdered one instead. Poor, poor baby.
We also find them eating in their rooms a lot, which is not allowed. They want to go in places that only staff are allowed to go into.
They do a lot of stupid crap. The ones that think they're all entitled to stuff are the worse.
:chuckle
caroladybelle, BSN, RN
5,486 Posts
It gets stupider.
Same hospital, different UD.
My UD calls me in for some issues during which she wishes to address. One of them is appearance. She thinks that I look much prettier with makeup "and more professional".
The first UD:
We get a call from staffing that our sister unit is short. We need to send them an RN and they will give us an aide in return. Our patient group really would not have benefited from us having an aide. In addition, the aide in question is very talkative and does not know how to add I/O (even after being shown, even with a calculator....we have tried her numerous times). We are a very quiet unit after hours and an aide is of little to us. We let the other unit have the RN and the aide.
Next morning , UD comes down and yells at charge nurse in the middle of the hall, in front of MDs, staff, patients, visitors. About how rude she was not to take the aide. How the charge is leaving and UD has a replacement already and she should "mind her step". When charge tries to example about the fact that the aide cannot add, manager tells us that "you should teach her how to add".
No worry about how she has a staffer that is functionally illiterate and cannot do a basic part of her job. No compliment about how generous we were and how it was a better use of staffing to keep the aide on the unit that requires more physical labor.